Monthly Archives: September 2016

Earlier this summer, a production crew from NBC filmed local musician Ethan Tucker in Tumwater Falls Park for the television show “The Voice” Ethan Tucker may only be in his early 20s but the self-starting Olympia native has already made a name for himself, impressing some of the more respected veteran artists in today’s music…

Now is the time to visit Tumwater Falls Park where Chinook salmon are showing up in impressive numbers in their annual migration upstream. Each fall, the Park welcomes thousands of visitors and schoolchildren to see salmon in their natural habitat, slowly making their way to the Tumwater Falls Hatchery. Come be enthralled by the cascading…

In June 1896, Scientific American magazine published an article titled “The New Double-Deck-Turret Battleship Kearsarge.” The article described the dimensions and armaments of a new class of U.S. battleships, and included an artist’s rendering and a deck plan of the ship.

Peter G. Schmidt, just sixteen at the time, was intrigued by the new battleship design—so much so, that he decided to build a scale model of the ship. Unlike today, though, he couldn’t go down to the local hobby shop and buy a kit. Instead, he studied the plan, the picture, and the text, and built his own model—entirely from scratch.

Tumwater Falls Park Rules

To enhance and provide for the safety and enjoyment of individuals who use Tumwater Falls Park the following rules have been established.

You are welcome…

To visit the park during hours posted of 8:00 a.m. until 30 minutes before sunset. (Call or email for current time of park closure.)

To use open areas during open park hours.

To enjoy the gardens without entering flowerbeds or picking flowers.

To clean up after yourself by depositing waste in the trash receptacles located throughout the park grounds.

To bring your pet, providing that you leash it at all times, pick up after it, dispose of their feces properly, and supervise it at all times. Pet bag stations are provided throughout the park for your convenience. If your pet shows aggressive behavior it must be removed from the Park at once.

To ride your bicycle in the park’s parking lot ONLY and not on the pedestrian walking trails.

Park rules prohibit…

Bicycle riding or jogging on pedestrian walking trails.

Weapons of any kind, with the exception of management and law enforcement officers.

Illegal activities, destroying or defacing park property, picking flowers, swimming in the river and littering.

Obstructing park entrance and exit.

Harassing or disturbing other park visitors.

Any persons to enter or remain in the park without the permission of the Olympia Tumwater Foundation when park is closed to the public.

Fishing anywhere in the park.

Park guidelines prohibit the following, except as permitted by a Use Permit:

Riverwalk Tours

[masterslider id=”1″]
The guided walking tour covers Tumwater’s pioneer past, Olympia Brewing Company history and the annual salmon migration. Tour Information: We will once again offer these popular, free guided tours from July through mid September. The scheduled Tour dates are available below. Tours are free and limited to 30 people on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations are taken. The tour meeting takes place outside of the Olympia Tumwater Foundation office in Tumwater Falls Park.